Words Abhishek Pandey | Photography Shrenith Bhandary
Hero introduced the range of its next-generation products at EICMA 2024 and launched them a few months later at the Bharat Mobility Global Expo 2025. A week ago, we rode the first product from their latest lineup, the Xoom 125, and now we were in Udaipur to ride Hero’s second offering, the Xtreme 250R. The Xtreme 250R is set to compete in the super-competitive 250-300cc naked bike segment against rivals like the KTM 250 Duke, Suzuki Gixxer 250, Bajaj Dominar 250 and the Bajaj Pulsar NS 250. The Xtreme 250R gets a completely new chassis along with a new engine and seems to be loaded with a lot of firsts from Hero. But the question is, is it enough to take on the established competition? Let’s find out.
First look at the Hero Xtreme 250R, and you won’t be able to help but feel that the motorcycle looks big and sharp. It carries the typical aggressive streetfighter stance, and it carries a modern naked bike design language. The visual mass is focused towards the front of the bike, where the panels seem to be bulging towards the front, almost making me think of the Ducati Streetfighter (not in the way it looks but more design philosophy-wise). It looks sharp and chiselled from any angle you look at it; the low-slung LED headlamp looks beautiful and adds to the streetfighter attitude. The tank is a busy unit where floating panels wrap the tank around them and give it a multilayered look. The shrouds make the bike feel larger than it is while hiding the radiator and coolant tank inside them.
It is the side profile where the motorcycle manages to look the most striking, as all the dual-layered panels and curves are clearly visible from this angle. The tail carries a new H-shaped LED taillamp, which is very nicely integrated. Hero has certainly improved on the fit and finish levels of the parts and the bike manages to look and feel like a premium product. However, with so many overlapping plastic parts, one won’t be able to deny the possibility of rattles creeping in over time and even our test bike suffered from a minor buzzing from the front panels.
The rider’s seat is nicely cushioned, spacious and accommodating, thus granting you a comfortable perch. The riding position is leaned forward a bit as the flat handlebar is positioned low, allowing for a more aggressive riding style. The foot pegs are also positioned in a manner that you won’t feel cramped and will have a lot of space to move. The overall stance of the motorcycle is sporty but not too aggressive to make it uncomfortable and will be welcoming for riders upgrading from a smaller motorcycle.
The rectangular LCD display is easy to read and doesn’t obstruct the rider’s view. Apart from the normal information, it also displays information like lap timing, drag timing, battery voltage and fuel economy. It also has Bluetooth connectivity with turn-by-turn navigation, call and SMS alerts and an eSIM-based Hero Connect that, with the help of an app, allows for connected features like vehicle tracking, topple alert, SOS alert and geofencing, among others. It also gets switchable ABS in the form of two different modes, namely Road and Track. Where the road has ABS fully activated, Track mode allows for ABS only on the front wheel with a delayed intervention.
The Xtreme 250R is powered by a new 250cc, liquid-cooled, 4-valve DOHC engine that offers 30PS of power at 9,250rpm and 25Nm of torque at 7,250rpm. The engine has been tuned to keep both city commutes and fun-spirited highway riding in mind and that is clearly visible the moment you head out. The feel of the engine is refined without being monotonous; there is a distinct character to the engine that puts it somewhere between the refinement of a Japanese engine and the raw feel of a KTM 250 engine. The throttle response is crisp which, paired with good low-end torque, allows for easy ridability. I was able to pull the bike from as low as 16kmph in the third gear without much drama. The clutch action is light and the 6-speed transmission has smooth shifts which are precise as well. The engine has been tuned nicely and doesn’t feel stressed even at 100-110kmph and allows for effortless highway cruising. The bike has all the characteristics to be called a proper streetfighter.
What complements the beautiful engine is the brilliant handling dynamics of the Xtreme 250R. The 43mm upside-down forks and the rear gas-charged monoshock with 6-step preload adjustment have been tuned to give a lot of feedback and support the competent trellis frame. The motorcycle feels very nimble and quick directional changes come naturally. In fact, the motorcycle inspires a lot of confidence around the corners and you are able to push it hard. The sharp steering geometry adds to the overall agility of the bike. However, the 110/70-17 front and 150/60-17 tyres from MRF don’t do justice to the capable machine and struggle to grip in fast-flowing corners.
The Xtreme gets a 320mm petal disc with an axially mounted 2-pot calliper, and the rear is a 220mm disc. The brakes have been turned to give a more progressive feel and feel okay to be honest. I would have really appreciated a bit more bite, and it would have gone well with the overall sporty character of the motorcycle.
To summarise it all, Hero has made a product that is the right combination of aggression, aesthetics and performance. A motorcycle that would not only attract young college-goers but also a more mature audience. We rode the bike for more than 200kms and came out craving more saddle time. The biggest Xtreme is big in all the required aspects and with an ex-showroom price of ₹1,80,000 is a really impressive proposition in the 250cc class.
